Renewable cutting arms and wheels for mining machines



29, 1967 c. B. KREKELERY 3,333,634

RENEWABLE CUTTING ARMS AND WHEELS FOR MINING MACHINES Filed May 27, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR CLAUDE B. KREKELER, BY W666 MM I ATTORNEYS.

29, 1967 c. B. KREKELER 3,338,634

RENEWABLE CUTTING ARMS AND WHEELS FOR MINING MACHINES Filed May 27, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q :2 Fi .10- Fig.8 2 32 ATTORNEYS. V

CLAUDE BKREKELER,

8- 29, 1967 c. B. KREKELER 3,333,634

I RENEWABLE CUTTING ARMS AND WHEELS FOR MINING MACHINES Filed May 27, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 so so 30 r30 r3 [3 Fig. 14 Fig.15 39 n z2 38 39 ,as

g Q 28 3 25 Z 26 Fig.13. Fig. 12

INVENTOR CLAUDE B. KEEKELER,

/ I I, VFW

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,338,634 RENEWABLE CUTTING ARMS AND WHEELS FOR MINING MACHINES Claude B. Krekeler, Hamilton County, Ohio, assignor to The Cincinnati Mine Machinery Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 27, 1965, Ser. No. 459,323

Claims. (Cl. 299-90) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a mining machine of the type having means for,

driving a plurality of cutter bits in socket members against the face of the material to be cut, the combination of a driving .means and a cutter bit-lug carrying means. The cutter bit-lug carrying means is affixed to the driving means by an attachment comprising coacting camming surfaces on the means such that these two means may be readily separated, while, on the other hand, the engagement of these two means will become firmer, the greater the cutting strains encountered thereby.

This application is related to the copending application of the same inventor entitled, Renewable Cutting Wheel and the Like, Ser. No. 397,098, filed Sept. 17, 1964.

In the application above referred to cutting wheels have "been set forth having inner and outer rim elements with an annular inflatable member located between the two. The advantages of such structures are that a damaged rim element or a rim element carrying one or more damaged lugs or socket members may be removed from the wheel and replaced with another rim element, thereby greatly minimizing the downtime of the mining machine.

This application has to do with cutting wheels having removable rim elements and also with demountable cut ting assemblies adapted to be remova-bly affixed to the cutting arms of mining machines. The skilled worker in the art will understand that various forms of mining machines are now being used, which machines are adapted to cut into the face of a seam of coal or other mineral, reducing the coal to a relatively small size which is delivered through the machine to a conveyor or other means for removal of the mineral. Such machines greatly simplify the mining operation, and are to be distinguished from mining machinery of an older type in which powered means comprising an arm with a cutter chain running about it was used in the mine entry at the bottom of a seam of coal to undercut the face of the seam, after which explosive was placed in drill holes near the top of the seam, the coal blasted downwardly, and then loaded by hand on a conveyor or in cars. One type of modern mining machine has a series of cutting wheels mounted on a horizontal shaft carried by a boom which can be swung from side to side and upwardly and downwardly at the front or cutting end of the machine. Another type of mining machine has a series of interdigitating rotating cutting arms at its front end mounted on horizontal shafts with their axes generally transverse to the face of the seam. Such machines usually employ also one or more cutting chains to cut that portion of the coal or other mineral which cannot be reached by the cutting arms and to enlarge the opening in the face of the seam so that the mine machine can itself be moved forwardly as desired. Both of the more modern types of mining machines can be used to form their own entries in the mine, and both subdivide the coal or other mineral and deliver it directly to a conveyor or to mine cars all without the use of explosives.

The coal or other mineral is cut by suitable cutter bits of which there is a substantial variety. Bits are held in socket members or lugs mounted on the cutting wheels or on the cutter arms. During the mining operation there must be frequent exchanges of bits, which exchanges are effected by withdrawing worn bits from the lugs and placing new or sharpened bits therein. Various means have been devised for facilitating bit exchange; and a number of these means are of such character that the bit may be withdrawn by a simple prying operation and a new hit driven into place. But during the course of mining operations the lugs or socket members are also likely to become worn or broken. In the type of mining machine employing cutting wheels it has hitherto been necessary to remove the entire wheel when repairs are necessary prior to this invention and the inventions of the copending cases. Similarly in mining machines employing cutting arms it has been necessary to take off and remove the entire arm assembly and transport it to a place where topairs can be made.

It is an object of this invention to provide removable lug-carrying rims for cutter wheels and removable cutter assemblies for cutter arms so that replacements may be more rapidly effected in the mine entry and in particular without removing the mining machine from the entry.

It is an object of the invention to provide structures of the class described which are not dependent upon the integrity of inflatable elements and the like.

These and other objects of the invention which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, are accomplished by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which certain exemplary embodiments will now be described. Reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational View of a cutting wheel provided with a removable rim which is of solid construction.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a removable rim assembly.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the segmental elements of the rim assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pin device which may be used with the rim structure of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a wheel flange.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of an outer rim element which is replaceable without disturbance of other outer rim elements.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cutting arm of simple character.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a portion of a cutting arm.

FIG. 9 is an end elevational view thereof.

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of a means for mounting socket members adapted for use with the cutting arms of FIGS. 8 and 9.

FIG. 11 is an end elevational view of the structure of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the end of a cutting arm.

FIG. 13 is an end elevational view thereof.

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of a segmental member which may be used with the arm of FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is an end elevational view thereof.

Briefly in the practice of the invention a cutting wheel or cutting arm is constructed to receive at appropriate places rim elements which carry the socket or lug members for cutting tools. These members are attached to the cutting Wheel or cutting arm in such a fashion that when the machine is driven in the cutting direction, they will be tightly wedged into position thereon. At the same time, they will be removable from the cutting wheel and cutting arm when repairs are desired.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a cutting wheel is shown having a body 1 which is either formed integral with or is attached to a shaft for driving it in the cutting direction. Alternatively, as is well known in the art, the element 1 could be provided with a hub (not shown) permitting it to be connected to a shaft intermediate its ends and splined or otherwise non-rotatably attached thereo.

The periphery of the wheel member 1 is formed with a series of projecting portions 2 the outer surfaces of which are arcuate but are tilted a few degrees away from the periphery of a circle having its center at the center of the body 1. The projections 2 are separated by depressions 3 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The wheel also includes a continuous outer rim 4 having a cylindrical outer surface as shown. The interior of the rim is provided with spaced arcuate portions 5 having the same curvature and tilt as the outer surfaces on the projections 2 of the body of the cutting wheel. The number of such surfaces will be the same as the number of projections 2. Between these surfaces 5 there are inward projections 6 on the rim which projections take the form of flange-like elements 6 and in contour are substantially the same as the depression 3 in the periphery of the wheel body 1. The flange-like elements 6 are spaced from each other in the direction of the axis of the wheel a distance suflicient to permit one of each pair to lie outside the surfaces of the body 1.

While the elements of FIG. 1 are shown in the fully engaged position in which the projections 2 on the body 1 grip the inside surfaces of the rim 4 and cause it to turn with the body 1 when the body 1 is driven in the direction of the arrow, it will be evident that if the body 1 were held against rotation and the rim 4 were turned in a counterclockwise direction to the point at which the flange-like elements 6 coincide with the depressions from the entire rim could be moved axially and separated from the body 1. Such separation would be effected by the operator if damage occurred to socket 0r lug members 7 welded to the outer surface of the rim 4. The damaged rim and its socket members could be taken away and an undamaged rim and socket member structure could be in its place by a reversal of the steps just outlined. The machine could then immediately resume productive operation.

The nature of the socket or lug members 7 can be conventional and various types of cutting bits and bit holders may be used. It is normal in such mining ma chines, however, to provide heavy duty cutting tools each having a head with a hard alloy cutting point and a shank which is received in an appropriately shaped perforation in the lug members 7. The cutting bits and the configuration of the lug members do not constitute a limitation on this invention. Preferably the bits are those shown in United States Letters Patent No. 3,114,537 and the holding means are as shown in United States Letters Patent No. 2,965,365. The head of one of the bits has been shown at 8 in FIG. 1. The lug members are welded to the rim 4 at varying angles so that the cutter bits will effect a width of cut sufficient to permit passage of the rim 4.

Since in many mining machines the rim and lug structures illustrated in FIG. 1 is large and heavy, it may be preferred to employ a rim made up of segmental elements as shown at 9 in FIG. 2. These segmental elements are removably connected to each other at their ends and are preferably hinged together. This may be done, as shown in FIG. 3, by forming a tongue 10 at one end of each segmental member 9, and dimensioning the tongue in such a way that it will pass into a slot 11 formed between the flange-like members 6 at the other end.

Various means may be used to fasten the segmental elements together; but a simple expedient involves the use of a pin as shown in FIG. 4 which pin has a body 12 and reduced end portions 13 and 14. The tongue 10 and the flange-like elements 6 are provided with holes 15 and 16 large enough to accept the pin of FIG. 4.

The use of the articulated structure of FIG. 2 will be the same as that described in connection with the solid rim of FIG. 1. The wedging surfaces of the projections 2 on the body 1 will engage interior surfaces 17 on the segmental members, will tend to expand the articulated rim outwardly and in doing so will cause the reduced portions 13 and 14 of the pin of FIG. 4 to engage in the holes 16 in such a way that endwise movement of the pins is precluded. The articulated rim of FIG. 2 can be removed from the body 1 as above described; but it is an advantage of the articulated structure that it is not necessary to remove the entire rim unless the entire rim has been damaged. If the damage is confined to one or more of the segmental elements or their lugs, it is possible with the structure of FIG. 2 to remove and replace only such segmental elements as exhibit damage.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 the body of the wheel 18 may have a circular contour 19 but may be provided with a series of eccentric slots 20 designed to exert the requisite wedging action. The outer rim may in this instance consist of a plurality of independent elements having bodies 21, depending spaced flanges 22 adapted to embrace the edge of the member 18, a circular interior surface 23 and a hole through the flange indicated at 24. The lug members 7 may be welded to the rim bodies 21. When the structure of FIG. 6' is placed over the edge of the member 18 the cylindrical surfaces 19 and 23 will ride against each other; but if a pin is passed through the holes 24 and one of the eccentric slots 20, it will be evident that in one direction of rotation of the member 18 a wedging action will be encountered which will hold the lug-bearing element of FIG. 6 tightly to the driving element 18. The pin employed may take various forms including that shown in FIG. 4; but other forms may likewise be used. The pin can be headed or may have merely a driving fit; and it is not necessary that the pin used with the structures of FIGS. 5 and 6 be circular in cross section. By driving any of the members shown in FIG. 6 in a counterclockwise direction to the member 18 of FIG. 5 the pin can be loosened in its slot 20, and upon removal of the pin the segmental portion of the rim element may be taken off for replacement or repair.

The same principle can be applied to the cutting arms of other mining machines. While no attempt has been made to indicate such mining machines as a whole, FIG. 7 is illustrative of the basic structure of a typical cutter arm as viewed from the front of the machine. The arm is mounted upon a powered shaft 25 which normally extends toward the face of the seam of coal. The arm 26 has portions extending radially of the shaft 25 and to either side of it. At the ends of the arm, forwardly extending portions 27 and 28 have been shown. It is on these portions, and others like them, that the socket members for cutter bits are mounted; but for simplicity in FIG. 7 these have not been illustrated. The cutting arms may take different forms. Some cutting arms will be like that shown in FIG. 7 with radial portions extending at 180* to each other. Other cutting arms may have three radially extending portions at to each other, and a greater number of radially extending portions is permissible depending upon the design of the machine. However, hitherto it has been necessary, if damage occurs to the lug or socket members mounted on the machine, to remove and replace the entire arm structure or to endeavor to repair it in situ, both of which operations are costly and inconvenient. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that while two forwardly extending portions 27 and 28 have been indicated in FIG. 7, a cutting arm on a mining machine will usually be provided with a plurality of such forwardly extending portions located between the shaft 25 and the outer ends of any radially extending portion, and so spaced as to permit the machine to out its Way into the face of a seam of coal or other mineral. By means of appropriately located lugs the cutting tools will be so spaced as to cut the entire face of the seam exposed to the cutting arms or to break off any portions of the coal extending toward the cutting arms between actual cuts. Some mining machines using cutting arms employ more than one forwardly extending shaft 25 and are so arranged that the arms interdigitate during rotation.

In FIGS. 8 to 11 inclusive there is shown a portion of a mining machine arm, which will be understood to be that portion of the arm which extends into cutting direction, i.e. toward the face of the seam. An arrangement is made whereby the means such as 29, which bears one or more lugs or socket members 30, may be placed over the edge 25 of a cutting arm 26 and removably fastened in place thereon. The member as shown in FIG. 11 has a top portion 31 and depending leg or skirt portions 32 and 33. The portion 28 of the cutter arm may if desired be reduced somewhat in thickness with respect to other portions of the cutter arm but in any event the portion 25 of the cutter arm will be machined or dressed to accept the elements of FIGS. and 11. It will also be provided with slantwise grooves 34 and 35 on either side; and the means shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 will be provided with inwardly extending ridges 36 and 37 so positioned and inclined as to be received Within the grooves. The grooves provide in effect camming surfaces to hold the lug carrying elements in place upon the member 28 and to exert a camming or wedging action thereon when the arm is driven in the cutting direction so that the elements of FIGS. 10 and 11 will not be removable when the machine is operating in the cutting direction. The grooves 34, 35 and the ridge elements 36, 37 may be dovetailed if desired. This prevents spreading of the skirt portions 32 and 33. As illustrated the portion 28 of the cutter arm and the lug bearing elements of FIGS. 10 and 11 may be so configured that one or a plurality of the lug bearing elements can be placed on the portion 28.

Instead of the use of grooves 30 and 31 in the member 25, slots extending entirely through the member could be employed and the lug bearing elements could be pinned to the element 25 as has previously been described in connection with the cutting wheel of FIGS. 5 and 6. This is not generally necessary and comparatively shallow grooves are preferred especially if they begin at the outer edge of the member 25 because this strengthens the member. It is necessary, of course, to insure against detachment of the lug bearing elements by centrifugal force; but it has been found that there will be no tendency toward such detachment if the grooves lie at an angle which is small, i.e., about 10 to 12, to the outer edge of the member 28, and under these circumstances frictional forces will adequately resist centrifugal force. It will be understood that so long as the cutting bits remain in contact with the coal or other mineral, the lug bearing elements cannot become detached. It is possible, however, to detach one or more of these elements for replacement or repair 'by driving them forwardly with respect to the cutter arm.

In FIGS. 12 to inclusive, wherein like parts have been given like indicia, the essential difference lies in the fact that a series of camming slots have been formed in the portion 28. These slots do not extend to the outer surface of the member in which they are formed. The lug bearing elements illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15 have a top and skirts as previously outlined and are held in place each by a pin 39 passing through the skirts and through the slots. The pin 39 will be removable; but it can take various forms from rivet-like structures which can be upset at the end to prevent axial withdrawal to screws or bolts which are threaded into the skirts.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the camming configurations hereinabove described will 'be located and directed so that when the machine is driven in the cutting direction the lug bearing elements will be seated against the wheel portions or cutter arm portions as the case may be.

Modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit of it.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a mining machine a driving element having an edge portion, and at least one lug bearing element having a portion to engage the said edge of the driving element, both of said elements having coacting camming surfaces directed to accept the lug bearing element to be tightly engaged with the said edge portion of the driving element when the latter is caused to move in the cutting direction, said lug bearing element having at least one pair of spaced portions lying on either side of said driving element adjacent said edge portion thereof when said elements are tightly engaged.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein the driving element is a disc-shaped member with radial protuberances bearing said camming surfaces and depressions between said protuberances, and wherein said lug bearing element is a ring having camming surfaces on its inside periphery and wherein said spaced portions occur at intervals on said ring and are shaped to correspond with said depressions so that by causing saidspaced portions to coincide with said depressions said lug bearing element may be bodily removed from said disc-like element.

3. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said driving element is a disc, said disc having a series of camming slots formed therein inwardly of its outer periphery, and wherein said spaced portions of the other of said elements embrace one of the said camming slots, there being a removable pin passing through said spaced portions and said camming slot.

4. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said driving element is a cutter arm, said cutter arm carrying at least one portion for the mounting of said'lug bearing elements, said last mentioned portion having at least one camming slot therein, the said lug bearing element configured to embrace a portion at least of said camming slot and a removable pin passing through the camming slot and the spaced portions of said lug bearing element.

5. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said driving element is a disc-like member having radial protuberances bearing said camming surfaces and depressions therebetween, and wherein said lug bearing element is made up of a plurality of connected elements forming a ring, each such element having on its inner periphery a camming surface, said spaced portions being located at an end of each of said elements and shaped to correspond with said depressions.

6. The structure claimed in claim 5 wherein each portion of the lug bearing element is a segmental member having at one end a tongue adapted to lie between the spaced portions of the next succeeding element, and removable means for pivotally attaching said segmental elements together.

7. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said driving element is a cutter arm having at least one portion to which at least one lug bearing element may be attached, said portion of said cutter arm having slantwise grooves formed therein and the spaced portion of said lug hearing element having at least one coacting ridge formed on the inside surface of at least one of said spaced portions.

8. The structure claimed in claim 7 wherein said grooves and ridge portions have a dovetailed interfit.

9. The structure claimed in claim 7 in which the inclination of the said grooves is at a small angle to the edge of said portion.

10. In a mining machine the combination of a driving element having an edge portion, at least one lug bearing element adapted to be placed upon said edge portion and to conform thereto whereby cutting tools engaged in the said lugs may be mounted in cutting position, said lug bearing element having spaced portions adapted to lie on either side of said driving element adjacent said edge portion thereof and demountable means for fastening said elements together including means having a Wedging action which tightens said lug bearing element against said driving element when said driving element is moving in a resistance of a material being mined.

8 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1920 Killian 30118 5/1926 Hess 29991 X 7/1928 Morgan 299-89 X 2/ 1952 Robbins 29990 9/1957 Russell 29991 X FOREIGN PATENTS 4/ 1907 Great Britain.

ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A MINING MACHINE A DRIVING ELEMENT HAVING AN EDGE PORTION, AND AT LEAST ONE LUG BEARING ELEMENT HAVING A PORTION TO ENGAGE THE SAID EDGE OF THE DRIVING ELEMENT, BOTH OF SAID ELEMENTS HAVING COACTING CAMMING SURFACES DIRECTED TO ACCEPT THE LUG BEARING ELEMENT TO BE TIGHTLY ENGAGED WITH THE SAID EDGE PORTION OF THE DRIVING ELEMENT WHEN THE LATTER IS CAUSED TO MOVE IN THE CUTTING DIRECTION, SAID LUG BEARING ELEMENT HAVING AT LEAST ONE 